Exercising device



May 14, 1946. H. o. COSTELLO EXERCISING DEVICE Filed May 24, 1945 IN VEN TOR.

Patented May 14, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EXERCISING DEVICE Henry 0. Costello, Providence, R. I., assignor to r The Mortimer Newman 00., New Haven, Conn.,

a corporation of Connecticut Application May 24, 1945, Serial 595,583 Claims, (01. 272-78) My invention relates to exercising devices of that kind which comprises a punching bag.

Objects of my invention are" to enable a person to exercise or to train by the same movements as occur in a boxing fight, the punching bag playing the role of the opponents head or face, to pro-'- vide means holding the punching bag permanently before the person's face at a suitable distance, and to attach these means to the body of the person whereby the proper position of the bag is independent from the persons leg movements.

Other objects are resilient means carrying the bag and carried by the person in such a way that the bag will swing resiliently under. the impact of the persons fist, but has a fixed position relative to the person except those dislocations which are caused by these resilient oscillations, to provide the bag over the resilient means whereby the bag will not oscillate in a rising are but rather in an arc descending from its position of equilibrium in a manner similar to the head of an opponent, and hold the bag in a manner preventing any unintentional contact between the bag and the exercising person.

' Further objects are to hold the bag at a suit- Still other objects are means connecting the holding device with the body of the exercising person, cords or similarly flexible means adapted to be wound around this body, these means being preferably affixed to points of the holding device which have different distances from the body of the person, and means connecting the holding device with two different levels of the person, for example with the shoulders and with the waist, whereby the holding device is reliably secured in its correct position.

Still further objects are to provide for simple, reliable and quick attachment of the exercising device to a person, for easydisconnection, and for simple and inexpensive manufacture of the device. Still other objects and advantages will appear from the following description of an exemplifying embodiment of my invention, from the appended claims, and from the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 shows a side view of an illustrative embodiment of my invention, attached to a person.

Fig. 2 shows the same embodiment in unattached condition seen from the right side in Fig. 1, the front part of the device being cut off along the line 2-2 in Fig. 1 and the cords being represented' in vertically spread positions.

Fig. 3 shows thesame embodiment in the con dition shown in Fig. 2, seen from the lower side.

Fig. 4 shows the front part of the same embodiment on a larger scale, seen in the same direction and condition as in Fig. 1, some parts being represented in cross-section taken along the line 4-4 in Fig; 3.

Referring to the drawing, numeral I indicates a plate or board consisting of a longish part 3 and two arms 5 extending from one end of the part 3 in symmetrically angularly spread directions whereby the arms 5 form a fork including a recess 6 and adapted to be placed in horizontal position around the front of a person's waist. The part 3 has a plurality of vertical bores or openings 1 positioned at different distances from the forked end of the plate I. A threaded bolt 8 is inserted in one of the openings 1 and is secured to the arm 3 by an upper nut 9 and a lower nut Ill, The bolt 8 can be adjusted vertically by turning the nuts 9 and ID on the bolt, and can be adjusted horizontally by moving th bolt from one opening 1 to another.

A disk I I is aflixed to the upper end of the bolt 8. A similar disk I 2 forms the lower end of a rod or shaft l3 and is connected to the disk H by resilient means, for example by a spiral spring M. A punching bag or ball l5 inflated in usual manner is affixed to the upper end of the rod I3. Obviously adjustment of the bolt 8 also adjusts the position of the bag [5.

A supporting member, preferably a cord, string orband l6 has two ends affixed to the part 3 in any suitable manner. For example, these ends pass from above through vertical openings of the part 3 and are provided with knots I! at the lower side.

A cord or similar supporting member l8 has one end aflixed to one of the arms 5, for example, by passing this end from above through a vertical opening of this arm and knotting this end at l9. From the aflixed end, the cord l8 may run over an edge of this arm and may form a depending loop as shown in Fig. 2. Then, the cord I 8 passes through another opening of the same arm 5 and. terminates in an end 20 which is free in the condition shown in Fig. 2.

A similar cord 2| is arranged symmetrically to the cord l8 and is affixed to and passed through the other arm 5 correspondingly. The cord 2| has a free end 22.

A piece of cloth 23 may be aiiixed to the innermost surface of the recess 6 and may depend from the surface. The piece 23 serves to cover the private parts of a person exercising in naked condition.

In some cases, for example if the exercising person is a child, this person may sit on the forked end of the plate I with his legs positioned at both sides of the part 3. In this position, the arms 5 form a broadpartiof :the plate I securedto the persons body by the weight of this body, and it is not necessary to make use of the cords l8 and 2|. The cord l6 may be used, if desired, as an additional support connecting the plate I with a higher level of the body.

Preferably, however, the device is attached :to the exercising person in the manner illustrated by Fig. 1. In order to attach the device in this way, the person, facing the bag I 5,.steps with hisright leg through the loop formed by the cord [8 and with his left leg through the correspondingloop of thecord 2|. The free end ofthe cord :I8 is wound aroundthebackof the waist andruns at the other. side which is not visible in Eig.-,-1 as far as the front of the body. .The free .end.22 .of-the cord 2| .is .wound around the back in opposite direction and meetsthe-endifl of the .othercord at thefront of the. body. Here, the.meeting ends and.22.are. connected, for example, by .knotting the same. The loop formed by the-cord I6 is placedoverthe shoulders around the .neck.-of.the person. The length .of this latter cord is so adjusted .thatthecord lfiholds the plate I in a substantially horizontal position.

The punchingbag i5 .is so adjusted by the meansdescribed before that the bag can behit or boxed by theperson when the same uses his arms .and fists in the manner of .a boxer. ,For example, the upper part of the bag 15 is adjusted to .thelevelof the boxers ,nose and within reach of This fists,.but.sufficiently.far from. his .body to avoid any contact .of his face vwith the bag when thebag oscillates on the spring 4.

During the boxing exercise, the person -may stepor lump in the .same manner .as a .boxer following or avoiding .the .movements of an opponent, and this person will find the punching bag, always in a position suitable for striking, and corresponding tothe position of the head or face ofasupposed opponent whereby the person can exercise all parts .of hisbody inthev same manner .asina boxing fight, .and the exercise constitutes a perfect traininglfor such -a fight.-

I desire it understood thatamyinventionisnot confined .to the particular .embodiment .shown and .described, the same being. merely illustrative, and that the invention may .be carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit of my invention as it is obvious that the particular embodiment shown and described is only one of the many that may be employed to attain the objects of my invention.

Having described the nature of my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An exercising device comprising a plate having a longish narrower part and a broader "part affixed to one end of said longish part, said part forming a seat for a human body a resilient member having one end stiffiy affixed to said longish part, and a punching bag afi'ixed to the other end of said member.

2. An exercising device comprising a plate having-twoarmsforming a forked end of said plate, said plate arms being adapted for two optional uses, one where the arms are placed at the waist of a.human.body andone where they serve as a seat for:a.human..b.0dy a .resilienhmember supported by the other endofsaid plate, and a punching .bag supported bysaid member.

.3. .An exercisingdevice .comprising a plate havingan end contacting ahuman body, means to hold said plate in horizontal .direction on said body,,a punchingbagresiliently connected to said plate and .positioned at a larger distance'from said body contacting end than the largest distanceof saidbag from its position of equilibrium, and means to adjustsaid distance from said body contacting end.

4. An exercising devicecomprising a plate having two .arms forming a forked end of said plate, said plate .arms being adapted for two optional uses, one where the arms are placed .at the waist of a human body and one where they serve as a seat for a human body, a resilient member supported by the other end of saidplate, a punching bag supported by said member, and means to adjust the horizontal distance of said member from said forked end.

5. An exercising device comprising a plate having two arms forming a forked end of'said plate, said plate arms being adapted for two optional uses, one'where the arms'are placed at the waist of a human'body and one where they serve as a seat for a human body, a resilient member supported by the other end of said plate, a punching bag supported by said member, means to adjust the'horizontal distance of said member from said forked end, and means to adjust the vertical distance of said punching bag from said plate.

HENRY O. COSTELLO. 

